Round the World Tickets

Multi-stop flights around the world

This is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about planning and booking a round the world ticket. Quick heads up: we use the terms ‘round the world’ and ‘multi-stop’ interchangeably – when it comes to flights, they basically mean the same thing!

A round the world ticket is designed to make lengthy, multi-destination trips as cheap and easy as possible. If you’re planning to fly to three or more destinations, it means you can get all your flights on a single ticket for one price. You don’t literally need to fly around the world. So if you flew London – Bangkok – Hanoi – Singapore – London, a round the world ticket would include it all. These can be fully customised to suit your plans, include tours, overland travel, etc.

We’ve also selected our current top picks of round the world flights, which are awesome both in terms of routes and prices. Being part of Flight Centre Travel Group gives us access to some truly epic airfares, and our relationships with all the major airlines means that as a customer booking with us, you’re automatically a VIP and fully protected every step of the way.

Below are 10 frequently asked questions about multi-stop flights, covering everything from cost to routes to flexibility of these tickets.

What is a round the world ticket?

A round the world ticket is a single ticket which covers you for a minimum of three and a maximum of 15 flights. Also known as a multi-stop ticket, they are typically valid for a year from the date of your first flight. Most will include travel with several different international airlines, like Emirates, British Airways and Qantas.

Why buy a round the world ticket?

Buying your flights in bulk under a single ticket almost always works out cheaper than buying the flights individually. Also, unlike single-stop tickets, round the world flights can be quite complicated to put together, so it’s best to speak to one of our travel experts for help.

How much does a round the world ticket cost?

The price of your ticket will depend on where you want to go, but one thing to keep in mind is that they are usually much cheaper than most people assume. The cheapest multi-stop flight tickets start at a few hundred pounds, but the typical cost is around £1200-£1500.

Do I have to travel all the way around the world?

Nope! One of the biggest misconceptions of round the world tickets is that your route has to literally circumnavigate the globe (to be fair, that is what the name suggests!). While many routes do indeed go all the way around the world, there are lots of options that allow you to come back on yourself. So for example, the route: London > Bangkok > Sydney > Dubai > London would be a multi-stop flight that ends up doubling back. Imagine a U-turn on a planetary scale.

What are the major air transport hubs?

Almost every country in the world has an international airport, meaning you have a near infinite choice when planning your multi-stop flight route. However, some countries and regions are much more established on the backpacker trail than others, so we have listed these below in terms of major flight hubs.

How to use a round the world trip planner?

When planning your round the world trip you have two options – to literally fly all the way around the world, or to fly to a point and make your way back on yourself. To keep costs down you should aim to travel through major transport hubs, as listed above. Check out our round the world trip planner below to start playing around with a potential itinerary.

Can I still travel overland?

Definitely – in fact, we’d recommend it! While flights are convenient for covering huge distances in a short time, nothing can replace the excitement and satisfaction of travelling overland using a country’s local transport. Our travel experts can easily tailor a ticket which allows you to enter a country through one airport and depart from a different one, at no additional cost. So for example, you could enter Malaysia through Kuala Lumpur airport, travel overland from there to Thailand, and leave Thailand through Bangkok.

Are round the world tickets flexible?

Yes, very! When you buy your ticket, specific dates will need to be laid out. However, these can be altered as and when you please once your travels have begun. Sometimes there will be a small fee to do this – about £30 – but often it’ll be possible to do it for free. And it’s not only your dates you can alter – you can also alter your actual destinations, within reason. There will be a fee for actual reroutes, but again, it will be small – certainly much less than buying new flights!

How can I pass the time on long flights?

The vast majority of long haul flights have superb ways to fill the time. Usually you’ll have your own in-flight entertainment system, which is a personal screen filled with more TV shows, films, music and games than you could ever get through even on the longest flight! It’s also a good idea to bring a guidebook for the destination you’re flying into – nothing like a bit of travel inspiration en route! You’ll be amazed at how quickly the time goes.

How do I time my round the world trip?

When planning your round the world trip it’s important to be mindful of events and seasons. For example, you’ll probably want to avoid taking any flights around the Christmas and New Year periods, as they are much more expensive. Same often goes for school holidays. In terms of seasons, again, you’ll need to be aware that some parts of the world aren’t much fun at certain times of the year. Let’s say you want to hike the Inca Trail. There’s not much point showing up between January and March, because that’s the wet season in Peru and the trail is closed during these months for conservation work.